Dying Embers
by BoundToTheBlueMountains
Summary: <html><head></head>What if Kai didn't unlock his true potential? What if he rescued Lloyd differently? And what if the others thought they were dead? How can the remainder of the team stop the serpentine when they're down a ninja and grieving for their friends? But they don't even need to grieve...right? Disclaimer: I do not own Ninjago. Warning: Some language, d*mn, h*ll, godd*mn.</html>
1. An Unexpected Detour

**_Chapter 1: An Unexpected Detour_**

**_~Kai~_**

It was bright.

Oh so very bright.

That was the first thing Kai noticed as he bolted out of the volcano without looking back, carrying an unconscious Lloyd on his shoulders. The blonde boy's head lolled on his shoulder, occasionally bumping into Kai's neck or getting hair in his face. But he did not stop.

Rumbling was felt under his feet. It started as a short tremor, and then erupted into more of a distant roar. Kai still didn't turn around. The scorching mountain was fading behind him, into a hopefully distant memory. But the fire ninja knew that the pain would never truly go away. It would always linger in his soul and make itself at home.

The volcano exploded behind him, shooting fiery columns of magma into the bright blue sky. The once peaceful and quiet forest and temple turned into a sight to behold, as lava ran down the mountain towards the unsuspecting grass.

The past few minutes came rushing back as he just kept sprinting, no matter how much his lungs screamed for oxygen, or how much perspiration ran down his cheeks. So many events happened in such a short amount of time. It didn't seem real. It wouldn't _click._

Kai panted as the memories overwhelmed him once more, blinking back tears at his mistake.

_I'm sorry Lloyd._

**0o0o0**

_ "Kai!"_

_The fire ninja was groping his hands at the coveted fang blade, as it glowed a brilliant red in the intense heat of the volcano. Lloyd's voice echoed through his mind, plucking the strings of his subconscious, as if reminding him there was someone to consider as well._

_"Kai! Help me!"_

_The blade sunk lower on its precarious perch, and the rock Kai's knees were resting on jerked suddenly to the right. He cringed and shot out a hand to steady him, pushing against the rock to get his own perch back in balance. _

_His hand continued to reach forward, slowly and steadily, keeping his amber colored eyes locked on the blade, as if it would vanish right in front of him. His gloves rested on his knees, for he disregarded them earlier because of the heat and their ripped fabric. _

_The blade was just out of his grasp, just a brush of a finger away. Fate seemed to be taunting him, goading the ninja into a deal he wouldn't approve._

_Lloyd's cries finally caused Kai to turn his head to look at the youth. The young Garmadon's hood was off, his face streaked with soot. There was a small cut on his chin, but his eyes were red and puffy from crying. The child was down-right terrified._

_His small island was well into the middle of the lava pool, so there was so means of escape for him. Even if there was, he was too frightened to be able to leave his little perch._

_Meanwhile, the rest of the group was staring down at the two of them, watching in pure, utter horror. Lloyd's father was trying to console him by shouting that it'll be okay, and to calm down, but his efforts were less than helpful. _

_Kai noticed that the serpentine long since left the scene. None of their wretched kind shed even a scale of evidence that they were once present._

_The crumbling of the ceiling seemed to be a signal for the rest of the team to flee the scene. Lord Garmadon was shouting protests and rather inappropriate language at Jay and Zane as they grabbed his arms and shooed him away. The last thing they heard was the father shouting his son's name, before a large boulder blocked their means of re-entry._

_Lloyd was crying himself hoarse, shouting for his father like he was a lifeline, which, in a way, was for Lloyd. A sharp tug of sadness was felt in Kai as he continued to reach for the coveted blade. The intense heat made his head spin, and his ninja uniform felt hot and sticky, almost suffocating. The younger of the two was panting, looking absolutely exhausted. He kept shaking his head as if to clear it, while his blonde bangs were soaked with sweat._

_Lloyd's island shrunk dramatically, as the lava showed no sign of ceasing to rise. It was at that moment that Kai's fingers curled around the handle of the fang blade. A feeling of pride swelled through his fatigued body…_

_…before he screamed in agony and dropped the blade. The blade was boiling hot, and the burns were already showing on Kai's right hand. He let out another wail and clutched his wrist, bringing his wounded hand close to his abdomen._

_A feeling of sudden frustration overwhelmed him. Here he was, crying like a baby when he could be doing something productive. He mentally scolded himself. _

_Suddenly, Kai wondered where the blade went. His spirits fell dramatically as he caught sight of it sinking slowly into the fire. Then, he clenched his teeth and turned away, supposing that it just wasn't meant to be._

_He focused his attention on Lloyd, who looked ready to pass out from heat exhaustion. He looked up at the fire ninja and cried weakly for help one last time. He no longer looked like the bratty little kid who pranked and boasted his skills. He was now a petrified and scarred child who just wanted to go home, and to have a shoulder to cry on._

_Kai narrowed his eyes. Lloyd was going home. And that was a fact._

_The fire ninja worked up the energy and will to perform Spinjitzu to get to Lloyd's island. Upon arrival, he pulled the young boy close to his chest protectively, and Lloyd didn't protest. _

_A large spray of fire surrounded the pair. Kai held Lloyd tightly to shield him from the sparks, but Kai himself was not spared. The sparks settled on Kai's face, leaving a lingering burning sensation on his cheeks. _

_After the wall went away, Kai plucked up Lloyd and invoked Spinjitzu once more to get away from the island and onto the rock floor. The two of them landed rather ungracefully, and Lloyd simply wasn't strong enough to stand. He was gasping for breath and shaking horribly._

_The older strode over and helped him to his feet, then scanned the chamber. A small flash of light caught his eye. On the opposite side of the cavern was a small crack in the wall. Outside of it was the warm sight of daylight. _

_Kai pointed to the crack and motioned for Lloyd to follow. The feeling of freedom was too great for Kai to worry about the boy. He just wanted to leave, curl up in bed, and take a week-long nap. After reapplying hair gel, or course._

_A scream ripped through his eardrums. He turned to see Lloyd on the ground, clutching his knee._

_A knee that was bleeding, and out of place._

_Kai cursed and ran back over. Based on how it looked, Lloyd must've tripped or simply gave way to exhaustion and fell over, and his knee popped out of its socket due to the jagged terrain. There was a large scrape on his kneecap, which was making his pant leg soaked with blood. _

_The young blonde was hyperventilating, refusing to tear his eyes away from his wound. It suddenly occurred to Kai that Lloyd wasn't used to seeing blood at all, let alone his own, or this much of it. _

_His feelings were proven correct when Lloyd's brilliant green eyes rolled in the back of his head, and fell unconscious._

_Kai sighed and lifted Lloyd on his back, grunting at how surprisingly heavy he was. Being mindful of his burned hand, he maneuvered back towards the crack. It was long, yet not very wide, but there was definitely daylight leaking out. _

_After gently leaning Lloyd against the wall, Kai pulled out his fire sword and set it ablaze. The familiar feeling of power coursed through his veins, and the weariness left his aching body gladly._

_A torrent of fire shot out of the sword, and the crack turned into a large hole. Rumbling was heard above his head, and Kai grabbed Lloyd, hoisted him on his back, and bolted out of the exit._

**0o0o0**

Unfortunately for the two of them, their hastily made exit was in the complete opposite direction that the Bounty was in. But Kai didn't really care at that point. He was a bit more focused on not being turned into a flaming shish-ka-bob by the eruption. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

Eventually, Kai stopped running by a particularly large pine tree, dropping Lloyd on the ground and panting heavily. The world spun violently and he gasped for breath. Lloyd still lay motionless on the bumpy grass.

After regaining his bearings, Kai looked around. He was deep in the forest, no doubt, and the volcano was far behind him. There was nothing ahead and nothing behind but pine trees and grass.

Kai cursed vehemently, clenching his fists tightly, until he winced and let go due to his burn.

Shame flooded his mind. That was his_ own_ element back there! He should've controlled it better, and if he was more careful then he and Lloyd wouldn't have gotten hurt.

He yelled and punched the nearest tree in frustration, ignoring the fresh cuts that blossomed on his knuckles. This was all _his _fault. Not Lloyd's, no matter what the kid thought of himself.

Kai sighed and turned to the unconscious blonde. He dreaded when he woke up, because that would mean that Kai would have to dress that wound. If there was one thing Kai knew about himself, is that he wasn't a doctor.

The sky above him was beginning to set, and was brilliant shades or orange, pink and violet. The one thing that bothered the spikey-ninja was that the Bounty wasn't against it.

The need for sleep outweighed all else, so Kai forced himself to lie on the ground. It wasn't very comfortable, and Kai didn't think he would sleep much, but the second his head hit the ground he was out like a light.

**A.N: **YES OH MY GLOB YES FINALLY THIS IS UP! MY GLOB!

Ahem, well…I am very proud of this story so far. Eager to how my mind forms the chapters. Chapter 2 is in progress. Next story update will be Silence is Golden.

That's it. TO MY HOMEWORK! *jumps*


	2. Never Say Gone

**_Chapter 2: Never Say Gone_**

It was the explosion that jarred the crew.

Not the column of fire that shot out of the top, or the rocks that tumbled from the sides, but the noise that it gave that signaled the remaining Bounty residents that two members of their team met an unfortunate end. It was defining, and there was no way to reverse it.

Nya stood breathless at the rail of the vessel, her hands tightly clamped, as if she too would meet the same fate her brother did. "Kai…" she gasped, as tears began to trek slowly down her cheeks.

Lord Garmadon paralleled Nya in his emotions, but he expressed them differently. His blood red eyes widened in horror as he gazed at the shaking mountain in the distance. His stature turned stiff, and his blood ran cold.

"Son…"

That one word said it all. All the pain, unconditional love, and sorrow that swelled his poisoned heart, all came out in a single word.

The remaining (what a word that was!) ninja were in a state of numbness. Their leader was simply staring into the eyes of the flames, hoping that his companion will rise up from the ashes. As more minutes passed, the more unlikely the vision seemed.

And the kid. The goddamn kid. Cole exhaled slowly and stared at the dusty floorboards of the ship. His view of him changed so much through their time together. Sure, he was annoying of course. He was a brat, yes. But he knew the reason behind that now. He was neglected, alone, scared, and needed someone to look up to.

And _dammit _he heard the screams and _hell yes _he remembered how scared he looked and he wants to see him _right now _because _damn _him if he breaks down all because of the kid he would _never _forgive himself.

Cole took a shuddering breath, shook his head, and walked off the deck into the bedroom. He was the leader. He wasn't supposed to break down.

At least, not in front of his team.

**0o0o0**

Jay meanwhile shifted his weight, his eyes glassy. His gaze was resting on Nya firmly, and seemed to be debating whether or not to go over to her and comfort her, or to run into the engine room and let his emotions take control.

Kai was more than just a friend to him. He was a _brother _and though he rarely laughed at his jokes, he never said to stop or knock it off. He always supported him, believed his inventions would work, and when they didn't, make some dumb remark that reminded him of something _he _would say, and…there was a void that wouldn't be filled. It was like someone had dug into a part of his heart, ripped out a chunk, and chucked it into the fire of the mountain from which Kai burned to death in the first place.

Jay couldn't take much more. He turned the same way Cole did, but went down to the engine room to be with machines that were much easier to work with than people.

**0o0o0**

Zane stared at the small spike that once was the volcano. It was hard to comprehend, this event. So _much _had happened to the team in so little time that it was rather unnerving. The white ninja had felt complete, _whole, _when he unlocked his full-potential. Dare he even _think _it, (or, process it) but he felt at peace even, as if his life held more purpose.

The one aspect that jarred the android was that he experienced loss for the second time in his life. No one should feel the pain of losing even _one _person they loved, let alone _two. _It just wasn't right. It wasn't _fair._

Zane frowned slightly, but stayed with the adults and Nya, for…he wasn't sure where he would feel complete again.

**0o0o0**

Wu hid his face under his straw hat, for he didn't want the youths to see tears begin to leak out of his ancient eyes.

Loss wasn't a new term for the old master, as much as he hated to admit it, but fate was crossing the line today. His students were like sons to him, some coming from broken homes, some from troubled pasts, some from good lives but incomplete destinies. And he loved every single one of them.

His nephew was on a completely different spectrum all his own. Though he was rather angry that Lloyd chose the wrong side at first, Wu didn't blame him. There wasn't anyone else in his life to look up to, really. Lloyd only met Wu in-person, what? Five times? The majority of those times when he was an infant? It didn't really count.

After all, Lloyd was alone the majority of his life anyway. Surrounded in a place where he didn't fit in, didn't _belong, _ultimately running away from his past, trusting snakes, only because they were the only ones who would really listen to him…(albeit negatively)

And now, when he finally finds a home, he dies much, _much _too soon.

Wu clenched his fists tightly, closing his eyes.

He would never forget them.

No one will.

**0o0o0**

Night fell.

The Destiny's Bounty sailed onward across the open seas, (Nya landed in the ocean to "give the sails a break") the only sound being the waves lapping on the gleaming wood hull.

Dinner a few hours earlier was a quiet affair. The entire crew refused to make a sound. Nya's eyes were bloodshot. Jay's gi was stained with grease and oil. Cole was staring at his dinner plate mournfully. And Zane, well, looked sadder than anyone had ever seen him.

Now everyone was in their beds, though nobody thought they would rest at all. However, one person refused to retire to his temporary chamber.

The Dark Lord leaned on the rail of the upper deck, both sets of arms crossed as he hung his head. Tears slowly trickled down his blackened cheeks, and he angrily swiped their traces away every so often.

This was the second time in his life that he was angry at the world for something that was taken away from him. Two times too many.

Almost silent footsteps were heard behind him. He sighed dejectedly. "Wu, I know you're there."

The sensei gave a strained smile. "I figured you did," he said as he stopped beside his elder brother.

The two stood in silent comfort as they stared at the ocean. Finally, Wu spoke up quietly. "We'll all miss them you know."

Garmadon gave a dry chuckle. "Yes, but the red ninja won't leave much of a void, I don't think."

"He did try, you know."

The elder of the two frowned slightly. "Not enough," he muttered quietly.

Wu exhaled and shook his head. Garmadon allowed another tear to fall down. "I can't believe he's gone…"

Wu scowled and turned on his brother. "Never say 'gone' brother. He's not. The memories that you hold of him are still inside, crystal clear. Lloyd's simply not here, and right now he'd be reprimanding you for not wanting to go on."

Garmadon digested those words, but said nothing. Another tear fell down his face into his mouth. It tasted salty, like the ocean.

Some people say the oceans were made from people's tears that they have shed over their loved ones. If that was true, then the two brothers filled the ocean considerably throughout the course of the night.

**A.N: **Well, this took long enough. XD Sorry it's so much shorter.

Review please! Thanks for reading.


	3. Direction

**_Chapter 3: Direction_**

**~Lloyd~**

Most people wake up from crows, or maybe a _very_ loud alarm clock.

Nope. Lloyd woke up from his unconsciousness by Kai snoring like an uncivilized gorilla.

As said, it was the noise that brought him back. He could hear it faintly at first, as his mind slowly was returning to earth, then it got louder and louder and it was _so annoying._

Then it was the sunlight that tickled his eyelids, goading the boy to open those emerald orbs again. He didn't want to; he was cozy, comfortable, and content. Lloyd grumbled and turned around, suddenly gasping as pain shot up his knee like an electrical shock.

The blonde boy shook his head to try and ignore it, nuzzling his face into what he thought was a pillow. Lloyd recoiled when it felt scratchy and irritating. He huffed and slowly opened his eyes, feeling unsteady and lightheaded.

Grass was flattened under his small form like an outline of a body in the middle of a crime scene. Straight ahead were nothing but large trees, and as Lloyd blinked hard and looked in the distance, there was a small spike of a volcano, smoke slowly curling from its mouth.

Lloyd shook his head to clear the dizziness, turning from his side to sit upright. He was rudely interrupted by the same shock of pain flaring up and down his right leg. His fists clenched the grass as the pain began to dull and turn back into soreness.

His eyes rested on the source of his pain, and his heart nearly _stopped._

The kneecap was covered with a bruise, and it looked off, like it had popped. A large gash stretched across from about an inch to the right, curving downwards to the left to just under the cap. It was red and sticky, but no longer bleeding. His black pants were covered with dry blood.

For a while, he just stared in disbelief. He had broken bones before, cut himself, gotten bruised, but _this _was an entirely different situation altogether. The sight of the blood, his own, and _this much _of it made the young boy turn slightly green, as the dizziness set back in.

The blonde's gaze rested on a long-since dead campfire as he tried to distract himself, and happened to notice a large indent on the trunk of a tree. Kai was curled up on the opposite side of the ashes, his spikes flattened on the ground. It struck Lloyd as hysterically funny, and ended up laughing despite himself.

Kai suddenly snorted and sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes while grumbling. "Wha…?"

Lloyd abruptly stopped and turned hopeful. "Kai, I'm up."

The fire ninja jumped and turned towards his companion. His amber colored eyes widened, and a large sigh of relief escaped his lips. "_God_, you had me worried."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "How come?"

"Do you even _see _yourself?"

The blonde frowned in defeat, his gaze once again resting on his injury. He let out a small whimper. "How did it…" he wondered, half to himself.

Kai grimaced and looked to his shoes, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry kid. It was my fault."

"No it wasn't, it was mine." Lloyd retorted, feeling guilty and uncomfortable. It was weird to him, seeing Kai depressed. "If I hadn't opened the first tomb, _none of this _would've happened."

There was a moment of silence, neither of them objecting to their statements anymore. Wind shot through the trees, making them both shiver and for ash to scatter across the grass. It didn't help the mood.

Finally, Lloyd spoke up. "Why do I feel like my Uncle would be saying something cryptic right about now?"

It lightened Lloyd's spirit to see Kai fall over laughing.

**0o0o0**

Later in the afternoon, the younger of the two still hadn't moved from his spot. To say he was getting antsy would be putting it mildly.

He was so _bored. _His small hands were itching to grab a game controller or a comic book. Being outside was so _boring._ It made him wonder why his uncle wanted him to get out more.

The thought of his uncle made his chest pang with regret. Wu didn't even know where he was and most likely thought he was _dead_ and what was Lloyd doing in return? Sitting around complaining as Kai did all the work. It didn't matter if he was injured, it didn't mean he couldn't _help_.

A loud _crash _ripped through his thoughts. Kai had returned with some more firewood to prepare for the evening. There was a small bulge in his pocket that Lloyd hoped was filled with food. He didn't recall the last time he was this hungry.

Lloyd voiced his question. "What's in your pocket?"

"Berries," Kai answered simply as he sat down next to his companion. "Found a decent sized bush a short walk away as I was heading back."

"Oh."

The fire ninja smiled a little at Lloyd's childish answer, turning to look at him. As his gaze rested on Lloyd's knee, his lightly tanned skin turned pale around his cheeks. His eyes turned cloudy with pain.

"What's wrong?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Kai sighed slowly, quickly looking away. "It's my fault you're hurt."

"No it's not Kai!" Lloyd retorted. He may not remember much of what happened, but he did know that Kai tended to beat himself up over his mistakes. This looked no different.

"Yes, it is, and don't deny it kiddo." He twisted back towards Lloyd's knee and began to rip part of his gi to bandage it. The younger bit his lip, knowing better than to protest.

"Look Lloyd, if we're going to get through this, then we're gonna need a plan, an idea of what to do, and an understanding."

The blonde hesitated, and then nodded in agreement.

"I don't like our situation any more than you do, believe me," Kai continued, and he wrapped the cloth completely around his leg and began to tie it. "But if you promise me that you'll cooperate, and pitch _any _ideas that _you _have to me, then we'll get out of this much faster."

Lloyd winced a little as Kai lifted him slowly, ever so slowly, off the ground and on his feet. A small cry escaped his lips as he rested both feet on the ground. Kai wrapped an arm around his waist as support, and turned to look him in the eye. "Deal?"

There wasn't an ounce of hesitation as Lloyd answered.

"Deal."

**0o0o0**

After about an hour of constant stop and go walking, the pair found themselves in a small clearing closer to the mountain as the sun sank into the ground. Stars twinkled above their heads, as if beckoning them in various directions, goading them to follow the way they pointed.

Kai eased Lloyd to the ground and ungracefully collapsed next to him, just as exhausted as Lloyd himself was. Sweat trickled down their faces and down their backs while mosquitoes buzzed aimlessly around their heads.

The red ninja worked on starting a fire while the younger took in his surroundings. There wasn't much to see, besides large oaks and maples rising into the clouds, some bushes clustered to his right, and a soon-to-be roaring campfire in front of him.

A loud gurgling noise was made in the pit of Lloyd's stomach. Kai turned around and grinned good-naturedly at him and tossed a small handful of berries in his direction. Lloyd caught them before he could even fully process it.

The berries were a startling midnight blue, as black as the night sky. They smelled okay, and didn't look threatening, but an uneasy feeling was still resting in Lloyd's abdomen besides hunger.

"They're not poisonous, don't worry. Growing up in a remote village, I guess I would know. But I'm surprised there's food around here besides burnt fish and fire sticks."

Lloyd jumped as Kai answered his unspoken question before he could even ask it.

As the small campfire roared in front of them moments later, there was a peaceful silence between them as Kai controlled the flames from getting to big, occasionally playing with them to vent out his frustration.

Meanwhile, the blond was staring into the sky above them, looking at a particularly striking constellation.

"Hey Kai, what's that group of stars called?"

Kai broke away from the fire and followed Lloyd's gaze until his eyes rested on the cluster. On such a clear night, it was hard not to notice it.

"Oh, that. That's the Big Dipper. The star at the end of it is the North Star." His tone turned wistful. "Nya and I's mother always told us that if we ever got lost, to follow the North Star."

"How come?"

"Because it never moves, and will always lead you to where you want to go, supposedly."

Lloyd paused before continuing. "So, why can't we follow it?"

Kai chortled. "It doesn't really work like that kiddo. There's a reason I said 'supposedly'".

The blonde stared at the grass, thinking. "Well…what's north of the Fire Temple?"

Kai exhaled and thought for a moment. "I think it's Kanto village, but it's a pretty long walk to get there through the Forest of Tranquility. Why?"

"If the star is always going to be north, then why not follow it to get there? Besides, you said it yourself, it never moves."

The spikey ninja turned apprehensive, shaking his head. "I dunno kid, Kanto isn't _exactly_ north from here, it could be north-west from here or north-east, or I could be wrong."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "Did I just hear you admit you could be wrong?"

Kai turned exasperated. "That's not the point! I'm just saying that it's risky!"

"You always take risks."

A groan of frustration erupted from Lloyd's companion. "I might as well be arguing with a brick wall, huh?"

"I…guess so?"

"Alright," Kai surrendered. "We'll try it, but if we run into anyone we're asking for _directions_ instead of following stars, okay?"

Lloyd nodded in reply, wondering if he just made the worst mistake of his life.

**A.N: **Ugh. This chapter seemed so much easier to write in my head. It took me forever to get both of them in character, and I'm still not sure if they are. :P

Besides that, did you guys like the chapter? I apologize for the wait, but honestly I'm just glad it's up.

Oh, and did any LOTR fans catch one of Lloyd's lines of dialog and what it referenced? *winks*

Review please! Thanks for reading.


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